Premier League: Chelsea Hosts Injury-Ridden Bournemouth

Chelsea vs Bournemouth

Chelsea and Bournemouth will look to improve their recent form as they’ll lock horns in Stamford Bridge for the 17^th matchday of the Premier League.

The Blues are aching for a bounce back after a tough loss against Everton the last time, but they have clinched their last-16 spot at the Champions League after a victory over Lille. They’re still in the top four with 29 points at the standings.

On the other hand, Bournemouth have lost five straight fixtures since their win over Manchester United last November, and much of their problems stem from their growing injury list. They are currently at the 15^th spot with 16 points and are in danger to slip to being a relegation candidate should this downward trend continue.

Chelsea will have a chance to draw level with Manchester City and possibly leapfrog over them for a top-three spot and that will be a huge boost to their campaign. A win over the Blues, meanwhile, can give the Cherries some momentum before ending the 2019 calendar year.

Given their recent history, this appears be a fascinating match to see and SBOBET fans should tune in on this fixture on Saturday.

Talking Points

Chelsea looking to gear up for the next transfer window

It’s fair to say that we can expect the Blues to be very active come the January transfer window since team manager Frank Lampard was given a £150-M transfer budget.

They are reportedly eyeing a couple of big names to bolster their lineup. Several reports indicate that they have targeted the likes of RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner, Lyon’s Moussa Dembele, CSKA Moscow’s Fedor Chalov, and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha.

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Frank Lampard will be keen on grabbing at least one of them especially since their transfer window ban has been lifted last week after a successful appeal, per the Premier League 2019 news.

Either one of those should be a good replacement for Olivier Giroud as he expressed his desire to leave the club after falling down to the pecking order under Frank Lampard. The French forward has been playing second fiddle behind Tammy Abraham, who has been their top scorer so far this term with 11 goals and three assists.

Speaking of Abraham, he made a strong return after suffering from a hip injury in their draw against Valencia in the Champions League. The English talisman fired a goal in the 19^th minute against Lille and he is well within his dangerous form.

His return should give the Blues a huge boost in our Premier League 2019 odds in this game, especially since he will link up with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Mateo Kovacic, and Cesar Azpilicueta once more.

Never-ending doldrums for Bournemouth

The Cherries haven’t experienced some good fortune lately as they’ve lost five in a row in the Premier League. But what’s more problematic is that they are without eight first-team players due to various injuries.

Some notable injured players include Nathan Ake, David Brooks, Steve Cook, Joshua King, and Charlie Adams. It also doesn’t help when Jordon Ibe is set to face trial after allegedly crashing into a coffee shop a few months ago.

But even with their ongoing problems, team boss Eddie Howe refused to make excuses as he tries to look for the positives in their ongoing campaign.

“The one emotion we can’t have is to feel sorry for ourselves. To moan and whine about the situation – that is of no use whatsoever. We have to be very positive and find a way back,” said Howe.

Eddie Howe’s troops suffered a 3-0 loss to Liverpool in their last Premier League fixture — Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe after the match vs Liverpool

“Injuries are an opportunity for other people to step up and say that they are good enough. They have to grow from this experience and then the squad will be a lot stronger when we get everybody back fit again,” he further reiterated.

Callum Wilson, Dominic Solanke, and Ryan Fraser will still lead the attack for the Cherries, but I would expect them to have a difficult time on the defence given their depleted lineup.

History

Chelsea and Bournemouth have met in 15 games where the former has won in 11 while the latter won in four. There have been no draws between them.

The Cherries dominated the Blues in their previous matchup last January with a tally of 4-0, as Joshua King, David Brooks, and Charlie Daniels conspired to pour in goals after a goalless first half.

Since their promotion to top-flight in 2015, only Liverpool (3) have beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge more than Bournemouth (2) in the Premier League.

Betting Tip

	Chelsea vs Bournemouth	Chelsea Asian Handicap -1.75 @1.96
	December 14, 23:00 (GMT+8)

The Blues are obviously the overwhelming favourites since they’re placed at 1.26 odds in this match. The away team is placed at 9.50, while chances of a draw are unlikely at 5.00 based on the 1×2 market.

Injury problems continue to haunt the Cherries and it will be a gargantuan of a task to put up a fight defensively against the Blues. With an in-form Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham, it’s inevitable that Chelsea will let out a scoring barrage en route to a comfortable victory.